It’s another full night of high school hoops action, and it begins in a few hours. Here’s a few notes on what to expect:

Resurgent teams: New Hanover and Laney are squaring off in the MIdeastern Conference. For the boys game, both teams are hoping to build some late momentum. New Hanover finally appears to have turned things around with a 32-point thrashing of Ashley on Tuesday. Laney continues to improve and has two of the best outside marksmen in the league in Kirby Kealon and Kevin Bell. New Hanover’s defense is best when it stays packed, and that might leave space for Laney to shoot over the top

In the girls game, New Hanover appears to have a lock on third place in the Mideastern Conference. But the Wildcats would also love to play spoiler to Laney’s so-far undefeated run through the league. New Hanover typically finishes the year playing at a very high level, and Laney can attest to the Wildcat’s upset capabilities from last year’s loss. That game will be worth watching for sure, especially given the matchup of Laney’s steel-wall defense against New Hanover’s inside-out game.

Waccamaw madness: It’s been a running topic through the season that the boys Waccamaw Conference has zero predictability. That showed again on Tuesday as East Bladen beat West Brunswick, breaking a three-way tie for first place in the conference. That’s all going to get resolved in the next week, starting tonight when South Columbus visits West Brunswick.

The first meeting was a six-point game. Expect something entertaining, though it’s a bad idea to predict any outcome in the Waccamaw. West Brunswick plays some of the best defense around with its pack-line scheme, and South Columbus has arguably the best frontcourt size in the conference with Pharoah McKever. If West Brunswick wins it moves South Columbus and West Brunswick into a tie for second place. If South Columbus wins, then the Stallions have at least a share of the top spot depending on what happens between North Brunswick and West Bladen. I’ll be in Shallotte tonight to figure it out.

The upset train: Trask’s boys team has won three of its’ last four games after losing its first five. The Titans now head to Union to continue the upset train. The Spartans just took command of the conference on Tuesday with a win against Wallace-Rose Hill. But Trask is a hot team as well and riding a ton of confidence. For those in Sampson County, this will be a fun game to see.

Enjoy a Friday full of games, and follow our updates from area contests. I’m hitting the road for Shallotte.

It was a terrible game, New Hanover was up by maybe 26 and just fell asleep because Laney is that bad. Not much of a rivalry when your competition is outmatched at every major sport. Our in town game that makes us heated is and always has been Hoggard. The Bucs look to have one with Pender!

About This Blog

Hey there, I’m Alex Rileyand I’m the high school sports writer for the StarNews in Wilmington.

Before coming to North Carolina, I was covering sports for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Cheyenne for two-plus years. Before that, I was in Ellis County, Texas covering sports for Waxahachie Newspapers Inc. Originally I’m from Blythewood, SC and I’m a 2008 grad of the University of South Carolina.

Follow me on Twitter at @StarNewsVarsity or email me at alex.riley@starnewsonline.com.